Dramatic Poetry. to it, at length became the principal part of the entertainment; and the chorus, losing its dignity, came to be accounted only an accessary in tragedy. At last, in modern tragedy, it has entirely disappeared; and its absence from the stage, forms the chief distinction between the aneient and modern drama. The chorus, it must be allowed, rendered tragedy more magnificent, instructive, and moral. But on the other hand it was unnatural, and lessened the interest of the piece. It removed the representation from the resemblance of life. It has accordingly been with propriety excluded from the stage. The three unities of action, place, and time, have been considered, as essential to the proper conduct of dramatic fable. Of these three, unity of action is undoubtedly most important. This consists in the relation which all the incidents introduced bear to some design or effect, combining them naturally into one whole. This unity of subject is most essential to tragedy. For a multiplicity of plots, by distracting the attention, prevents the passions from rising to any height. Hence the absurdity of two independent actions in the same play. There may indeed be underplots; but the poet should make these subservient to the main action. They should conspire to bring forward the catastrophe of the play. Of a separate and independent action, or intrigue, there is a clear example in Addison's Cato. The subject of this tragedy is the death of Cato, a noble personage, and supported by the author with much dignity. But all the love scenes in the play; the passion of Cato's two Dramatic Poetry. sons for Lucia, and that of Juba for Cato's daughter, are mere episodes. They break the unity of the subject and form a very unseasonable junction of gallantry with high sentiments of patriotism. Unity of action must not, however, be confounded with simplicity of plot. Unity and simplicity import different things in dramatic composition. The plot is simple when a small number of incidents is introduced into it. With respect to plots, the ancients were more simple than the moderns. The Greek tragedies appear, indeed, to be too naked, and destitute of interesting events. The moderns admit a much greater variety of incidents; which is certainly an improvement, as it renders the entertainment more animated and more instructive. It may, however, be carried too far; for an overcharge of action and intrigue produce perplexity and embarrassment. Of this, the Mourning Bride of Congreve is an example. The incidents succeed each other too rapidly; and the catastrophe, which ought to be plain and simple, is artificial and intricate. Unity of action must be maintained, not only in the general construction of the fable, but in all the acts and scenes of the play. The division of every play intò five acts is founded merely on common practice and the authority of Horace: Neve minor, neu sit quinto productior actu‹ Fabula. There is nothing in nature which fixes this rule. On the Greek stage the division by acts was unknown. The word act never occurs once Dramatic Poetry. in the poetics of Aristotle. Practice, however, has established this division; and the poet must be careful that each act terminate in a proper place. The first act should contain a clear exposition of the subject. It should excite curiosity, and introduce the personages to the acquaintance of the spectators. During the second, third, and fourth acts, the plots should gradually thicken. The passions should be kept constantly awake. There should be no scenes of idle conyersation, or mere declamation. The suspense and concern of the spectators should be excited more and more. This is the great excellency of Shakespeare. Sentiment, passion, pity and terror, should pervade every tragedy. In the fifth act, which is the seat of the catastrophe, the author should most fully display his art and genius. The first requisite is, that the unravelling of the plot be brought about by probable and natural means. Secondly, the catastrophe should be simple, depending on few events, and including but few persons. Passionate sensibility languishes when divided among many objects. Lastly, in the catastrophe every thing should be warm and glowing; and the poet must be simple, serious, and pathetic; using no language but that of nature. It is not essential to the catastrophe of a tragedy, that it end unhappily. Sufficient distress and agitation with many tender emotions may be raised in the course of the play. But in general the spirit of tragedy leans to the side of leaving the impression of virtuous sorrow strong upon the mind. Dramatic Poetry. A curious question here occurs: How happens it that the emotions of sorrow in tragedy afford gratification to the mind? It seems to be the constitution of our nature, that all the social passions should be attended with pleasure. Hence nothing is more pleasing than love and friendship. Pity is for wise ends a strong instinct ; and it necessarily produces some distress on account of its sympathy with sufferers. The heart is at the same moment warmed by kindness, and afflicted by distress. Upon the whole, the state of the mind is agreeable. We are pleased with ourselves, not only for our benevolence, but for our sensibility. The pain of simpathy is also diminished by recollecting that the distress is not real; and by the power of action, and sentiment of language and poetry. After treating of the acts of a play it is proper to notice the scenes. The entrance of a new person upon the stage, forms what is called a new scene. These scenes or successive conversations should be closely connected; and much of the art of dramatic composition consists in maintaining this connection. For this purpose two rules must be observed. 1. During the course of one act the stage should never be left empty a moment, for this would make a gap in the representation. Whenever the stage is evacuated, the act is closed. This rule is generally observed by French tragedians; but it is much neglected by the English. 2. No person should come upon the stage, or leave it, without some apparent reason. If this rule be neglected, the dramatis personæ are little better than so many puppets; for the drama professes imitation of real transactions. Tragedy. To unity of action, critics have added the unities of time and place. Unity of place requires the scene never to be shifted; that the action of the play continue in the same place where it began. Unity of time, strictly taken, requires that the time of the action be no longer than the time allowed for the representation of the play. Aristotle however permits the action to comprehend a whole day. These rules are intended to bring the imitation nearer to reality. Among the Greeks there was no division of acts. In modern times the practice has prevailed of suspending the spectacle some little time between the acts. This practice gives latitude to the im agination, and renders strict confinement to time and place less necessary. Upon this account therefore too strict an observance of these unities should not be preferred to higher beauties of execution, nor to the introduction of more pathetic situations. But transgressions of these unities, though they may be often advantageous, ought not to be too frequent, nor violent. Hurrying the spectator from one distant city to another, or making several days or weeks pass during the representation, would shock the imagination too much, and therefore cannot be allowed in a dramatic writer. Having examined dramatic action, we shall now attend to the characters most proper to be exhibited in a tragedy. Several critics affirm that the nature of tragedy requires the principal personages to be always of high or princely rank; as the sufferings of such persons seize the heart most forcibly. But this is more specious than. solid. For the distresses of Desdemona, Monimia, |
